Help! I Need a Course Correction!

I travel the highways to Austin and Tulsa often and rarely do I need directions. But, when I am on the phone or in Lala Land while driving, I just might take a wrong turn. One time, I took the wrong exit to Dallas coming home from Tulsa and ended up on some backwoods roads. I thought "Since I'm this far into it, I'll just stay on this road and see where it comes out. After all, I'm going southwest so it will eventually get me where I need to go." It did, but it was a 45-minute longer drive. I should have course-corrected, turned around to get back back on the right road. Then it would have only been a 20-minute longer drive.

What you may not know about me is that I’m a Private Pilot. Haven't flown since my husband when to heaven, but once a pilot, always a pilot. We had a single engine, 4-passenger, Cessna 182 like the one pictured here – a sweet ride. We logged many hours flying across this great country. I remember some crucially important things that ensured landing where, and when, we intended. Wind speed and wind direction requires course corrections throughout the flight. A strong wind can certainly take you off course. Constant “tweaking” is necessary. All it takes is to be off just a few degrees and you can end up in Timbuktu, instead of the intended destination.

And those course corrections while driving and flying are true in our own day-to-day living. Our emotions, our bodies, and our spirits may get off course by “negative winds” that we’ve let come in. They may have come in by the company we keep, some unhealthy habits, some unwise decisions we make without consulting our Heavenly Father first, maybe some compromising of our ethics and integrity, or literally missing the mark.

Perhaps, it’s time for some tweaking and correcting our course. The winds can certainly slow us down, and take us completely off course -- not to mention keep us from receiving the blessings that could have been ours if we were on track. Here we are in the season of Lent when we deliberately focus our attention on getting it right – getting our hearts right. It’s the perfect time to make course corrections – where we make the adjustments necessary to be fully devoted followers of Christ.

“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10. I promise you….this is the stuff that helps us drive further -- faster and fly higher than we’ve EVER flown before. I'm quite sure I can use some tweaking!

Making Course Corrections

Learning to fly was an amazing experience and flying solo was the part that sure got my blood pumping. When flying alone, there is no one else to depend upon except yourself. It was empowering, but it was also one of the most terrifying things I ever did. I made that first solo flight just fine, but then came the time, still as a student pilot but with the required skills, to make a cross-country solo flight (within 25-miles away). I learned early on about course corrections. I had put in an initial heading, but when I had flown the 25-miles, I didn’t see my destination airport in sight. I assure you that my heart was palpitating a mile a minute. I hadn’t anticipated the strong winds that pushed me off course. The scripture “Lo, I am with you always….” (Matthew 28:20) came to me and it offered me no solace because I was flying at about 3,000 feet up in the air. “Help, Lord, please be HIGH with me always!”

Logic said the airport is right in front of me, but I had not played close enough attention to making course corrections along the way. Wind changes in directions and intensity changed my course, but fortunately, only a few degrees. I wasn’t that far off course because, eventually, the airport I was to land at, was in sight. If it had been a longer and further flight, a few degrees could have put me in Timbuktu!

This scenario applies to our lives as well. Proverbs 16:9 says, "A man's heart devises his way, but the Lord directs his steps." In other words, we make plans, but the Lord makes course corrections along the way. Sometimes, we aren’t so thrilled with those course corrections. When Jesus left this Earth, our Father gave us the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit helps us make right decisions. He guides us in right living and right thinking.

Our heavenly Father wants us to succeed. He wants us to live in joy and in peace. He desires for our path to be straight. He wants us to reach our destination. The Holy Spirit is the One who continuously guides us. He softly whispers, "Turn this way. Go that way." He helps us make course corrections.

As we start out on our “solo” ride each day, it’s important that we pay close attention to our journey. The enemy of our souls wants to take us off course. He uses the slyest tactics to maneuver us in the wrong direction. But when we “eagle eye” and listen for the promptings of the Holy Spirit Who cautions us that we’re getting off course, He will help us make the course corrections to get us back on track. Simple course corrections now instead of waiting until our lives are in a mess and things are out of control will certainly save us time AND distance. Quite often a very small course correction will avert and prevent a tragedy.

God is for us. He lovingly desires to help us adjust our direction and get us back on course. May our sensitivity to His leading be fine-tuned so that we stay on the right path. Maybe you haven't been "flying" in a straight line and you can't even see to tomorrow. Stop and listen for His voice. He is speaking. Heed His course corrections and you will reach your destination on time, every time!

The Purer the Vessel, the Greater the Flow

Think about those who must have Coronary Artery Bypass surgery because one or more blocked coronary arteries are preventing normal blood flow. Then on a less physical note, consider a kitchen sink pipe that becomes clogged because of an abundance of grease or other substances. But, most important are our vessels (our spirits) that become filled with kunk and junk that prevents a free flow of God's joy, peace, love and all the other Fruit of the Spirit from flowing in our lives.

We all desire God's ultimate "stamp of approval" on our lives. There are times when it's easy, and even seemingly harmless, to make little compromises in doing the RIGHT thing. You know... when we lose our patience with the cashier who is taking FOREVER to check out customers because she talks so much or when we falter in our ability to love those who are so unlovely to us, or watching "dark" and "immoral" movies or TV shows, or gossiping or telling little white lies. It's the little things, that over time, that cause our consciences to become seared, and what was once a clean, pure vessel, now starts getting clogged and that free flow of God's blessings with a joy-filled, peace-filled life, and God's "stamp of approval" seem to be held back.

Again, this is that "tweaking" and "course correction" time, when we realize the LITTLE THINGS do matter. Don't we want the flow out of us to others to be abundant in encouragement, comfort, joy and love? And, don't we want God's flow back to us to be the same?

It just makes sense to get out God's roto-rooter to clean-out and purify our vessels -- our pipelines -- because, "The purer the vessel -- the greater the flow!" Oh how I desire that flow -- freely flowing -- in and out of my life! How about you?

I Believe I Can Fly

As a Private Pilot, when I hear that song "I Believe I Can Fly", I have extra help with the notion of flying. We had a single engine Cessna 182 that was a sweet ride, and we logged many hours flying across this great country. I've only flown an airplane once since my Honey's promotion to heaven, but I remember some crucially important things that ensured landing where AND when we intended. Knowing the plane's airspeed, wind velocity and wind direction is essential to a pilot. It requires course corrections throughout the flight. A strong wind can certainly take you off course. Constant “tweaking” is necessary. All it takes is to be off just a few degrees and you can end up in Timbuktu, instead of where you intended to go.

And isn’t that true in our lives, as well? Our emotions, our bodies, and our spirits may get off course by “negative winds” that blew in. They may have come in by the company we keep, the food choices we’ve made, some unhealthy habits, some compromising of our ethics and integrity, or literally missing the mark. The winds can certainly slow us down, and take us completely off course -- not to mention, keep us from receiving the blessings that could have been ours if we had stayed on course.

This season of Lent continues through March 24th, and we've been deliberately focusing our attention on getting it right – getting our hearts right. Lent is the perfect time to make course corrections – where we make the adjustments necessary to be fully devoted followers of Christ. “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10.

I promise you….this is the stuff that helps us fly and soar higher than we’ve EVER flown before.